Plate numbers are official sets of numbers and letters attached to the front or the back of a road vehicle. It serves as a means of identification for cars. Humans have ID cards, cars have plate numbers. The currently used Nigerian vehicle registration plates were introduced in the year 1992 and later revised in 2011
When registering a new vehicle in Lagos, the documents that come with it include a vehicle license, roadworthiness certificate, driver’s license, and a number plate. The unique number combination of all non-customized plate numbers is in the format ABC123DE of which the first three letters indicate the Local Government Area in which the vehicle was registered, followed by three digits and two letters. The last two letters are mainly for numbering. For instance, the numbering series will go from 001AA to 999AA then to 001AB to 999AB and so on. More often than not, the former letter, however, is used to distinguish types of vehicles. For instance, A means private vehicle, X means taxi and commercial transports as well, Q refers to bikes and tricycles and H refers to Hilux vans.
Nigerian license plates generally look alike. In the upper left corner, they carry the Flag of Nigeria or the National coat of arms with a white background and number and letters imprinted with either of the colors green, blue, red, and purple. Each color represents a category of vehicles. For instance, plate numbers for commercial vehicles are imprinted in red, government plates are imprinted in green, then diplomatic plates come with a purple and green background and are imprinted on with white letterings. For the diplomatic plates, the first two or three digits indicate the country the car owner represents, then two letters and numbers follow. On exclusive plates like this, instead of the name of the state, you’ll find CORPS DIPLOMATIQUE written at the top of the plate.
As stated earlier, the first three letters of the plates represent the local government the car was registered in. see examples of some that can be found in Lagos:
LND = Lagos Mainland LG
LSR = Surulere LG
LSD = Oshodi Isolo LG
KSF = Kosofe LG
AGL = Ajeromi Ifelodun
APP = Apapa LG
KTU = Ketu
BDG = Badagry LG
EKY = Eti-Osa LG
KRD = Ikorodu
EPE = Epe LG
MUS = Mushin LG
GGE = Agege LG
FST = Festac LG
SMK= Somolu LG
JJJ = Ojo LG
KJA = Ikeja LG
AAA = Lagos Island LG
FKJ = Ifako Ijaiye
AKD = Ibeju Lekki LGA (Headquarter in Akodo)